And in what has been a two-week nose-thumbing at conventional football wisdom the Broncos have now won a game they didn't lead until there was no time remaining on the clock in the opener to go with Sunday's back-from-the-brink 23-20 overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders in Invesco Field at Mile High.

This time Jason Elam kicked a 23-yard field goal with 5 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the extra period.

So, with that the Broncos continue to dance on the sharp edge, yet with the confidence they can do such things when they're necessary.

"It's probably a good trait to have,'' safety John Lynch said. "You don't want to test it so much, but probably a good trait to have.''

"We keep fighting,'' cornerback Dre' Bly said. "Things aren't always going to go the way you think. I've played on defenses, for teams, when something went wrong that was it, it was over. This team isn't that way, even when things don't go our way.

And they haven't all the time thus far. The Broncos piled 441 yards worth of offense on the Raiders Sunday and came away with two touchdowns.

They heaped 470 yards of offense on the Bills a week ago and came away with one touchdown.

Sunday it was an offensive pass interference from Brandon Marshall on a 23-yard catch-and-run with a little over nine minutes to play in the third quarter that seemed to knock things out of kilter.

Marshall had scored what initially looked to be a touchdown for what would have been a 24-3 Denver lead. Instead, after the penalty, the Broncos didn't convert the third down, Elam missed a 45-yard field goal and the Raiders scored on the next possession to make it 17-10.

Toss in Oakland recovering an on-side kick after the score to go with former Broncos defensive tackle slamming Jay Cutler to the ground for a safety 45 seconds into the fourth quarter and the Broncos spent much of the remainder of regulation on wobbly legs.

Wobbly legs, but still no stumble.

"We kind of hit a little rut there,'' wide receiver Brandon Stokley said. "We can bounce out of that a little better, but it still worked out.''

"That's all you can say,'' Bly said. "Two wins. They all look nice when you're done with them.''

Just in time

Shanahan has routinely said he doesn't believe in trying to rattle opposing kickers by calling timeouts because his own kicker, Elam, has told him it just doesn't work.

It's just Shanahan decided he would try anyway Sunday.

Before Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski lined up for what turned out to be his first attempt at a 52-yard game-winner in overtime, Shanahan told line judge Byron Boston near the Broncos sideline he was going to call a timeout just before the Raiders got read to snap the ball.

"I just told him I was going to call timeout before hand,'' Shanahan said. "Just as they were lining up, that's when I was going to call it. Probably about two seconds before he did it.''

"I was standing right there when Mike talked to Mr. Boston,'' Lynch said. "He told them in advance he was going to call the timeout. I was like 'do it already.' It was going right down to the wire. He got it with two seconds, no one could hear him, but (Boston) did blow the whistle.''

No one did hear the whistle so the Raiders snapped the ball and Janikowski made the kick. But because the Broncos had been awarded the timeout by Boston, the Raiders were forced to line up and try again.

With a little more time to think about it, this time Janikowski's kick — which he pounded well enough to have been good from well over 60 yards — hit the top of the left upright and bounced away.

"A great timeout,'' Bly said. "For whatever reason it rattled Janikowski. I was glad to see it hit the top left corner.''

Skywalker

09-17-2007, 01:37 AM

Shanahan has routinely said he doesn't believe in trying to rattle opposing kickers by calling timeouts because his own kicker, Elam, has told him it just doesn't work.

I'm so glad we didn't listen to Jason today :D

sneakers

09-17-2007, 02:29 AM

I'm so glad we didn't listen to Jason today :D

Most kickers yeah, I would say that is true...but Janikowski always misses the big field goals it seems.

Dean

09-17-2007, 10:45 PM

I don't think that it was Janokowski that got rattled. It was the snapper. The snap was low and threw the timing of the kick off.

Great call, Mike!:beer:

TXBRONC

09-17-2007, 10:51 PM

I don't think that it was Janokowski that got rattled. It was the snapper. The snap was low and threw the timing of the kick off.

Great call, Mike!:beer:

That was a great call, however there seems to be some that feel the rule should be changed so you can't call a timeout that late.

BroncoSexyDaddy

09-17-2007, 11:08 PM

Somebody didnt want Denver to cover the spread.Denver should have blown the Raiders out.Marshall should have scored that TD :confused: